Schools

(WXIA) -- A few seats are still available at Georgia Connections Academy for the 2014-15 school year.

Georgia Connections Academy is a virtual K-12 public school that allows students to learn at their own pace. It is fully accredited and open to all school-age Georgia children.

"We are enrolling 1,000 additional students across all grade levels for the coming academic year," lead principal Heather Robinson said in a release. "We have a waiting list as we open enrollment, so we encourage parents to get their applications in now."

(WXIA) -- The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has brought back its Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest for 2014.

This year's theme is Plug into Nature, emphasizing the importance of experiencing wildlife and plants firsthand.

All Georgia students in grades kindergarten through 5 are invited to enter the contest. The top 12 winners' posters will be displayed on the DNR's Flickr site and at the Go Fish Education Center in Perry during the first two weeks in May.

Contest entries are due Apr. 16. Three winners will be picked in four categories (kindergarten, grades 1-2, grades 3-4, grade 5).

(WXIA) -- The Georgia Department of Education will once again offer its Seamless Summer nutrition program when school lets out for the year.

Seamless Summer provides free meals to children under the age of 18. No registration or income verification is required to receive the food.

According to the GDOE, more than 77 percent of the 500,000 breakfasts and 1.1 million lunches it serves during the school year are provided for free or at a reduced price. Georgia ranks in the top five nationwide for states with children who participate in the School Breakfast Program and/or National School Lunch Program.

In the past, more than 2,200 locations across Georgia have served meals through the Seamless Summer program.

(WXIA) -- The Georgia Trial Lawyers Association is holding a scholarship essay competition for high school seniors.

The contest focuses on the 7th Amendment, which is an American's right to a trial by jury.

To enter, a college-bound senior must write an essay in response to this question:

Since the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791, the 7th Amendment Right to Trial by Jury has been the cornerstone of the Civil Justice System. And yet, in the two-plus centuries since, the Right to Trial by Jury has been under near-constant assault. In your opinion, what role does the 7th Amendment play in the 21st Century, and why do you believe that it is important to safeguard this right?

All essays must be submitted to the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association no later than Monday, Apr. 7. One grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 college scholarship. The runner-up will get $500.

(WXIA) -- It's back! The wildly popular Doodle 4 Google contest, which gives children the opportunity to create a Google Doodle, is now accepting entries.

Students in grades K-12 can enter the competition by drawing the Google logo with the theme, "If I could invent one thing to make the world a better place ..."

"So many of the world's greatest inventions started out as simple doodles -- just think of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings of flying machines long before airplanes were made. We hope students will think big and surprise us with their creative ideas, just like they've done in years past!" Google said in a release.

If a child is a promising athlete, a working performer or encounters some type of health issue, online school gives him the flexibility he needs to heal, practice and/or travel.

Georgia Connections Academy, a fully accredited K-12 online school, is now accepting applications for mid-year enrollees in grades K-11. The school allows students to learn at their own pace, be it faster or slower than traditional school.

Visit connectionsacademy.com for more information about the school and to sign up a child. Parents can also call the school at 678-825-3258.